Archive for November, 2012

I monitor a variety of online forums and recently was engaged in a thread that addressed the question of whether PR (public relations) is still relevant. I was surprised by the question because, in my opinion, PR is more relevant today than ever and is rapidly supplanting the value of advertising.

I work regularly with businesses, and independent consultants, on their marketing communication strategies, including social media strategies. The first two key points I address with my clients (whether for traditional or online media) are: (more…)

I was recently interviewed by a journalist for a piece for a business trade publication on the common mistakes made by businesses when using social media. It’s a great topic and one that could easily be expanded to the broad range of communication tools in general because the same types of mistakes occur in old as in new media.

Focusing specifically on new media– in this case social media– though, I shared with the reporter some of the common missteps I see (more…)

A recent survey by VerticalResponse, a marketing software company indicates that while 90 percent of small businesses are on Facebook and 70 percent on Twitter, they’re not as eager to embrace social media sites like LinkedIn (only 4 percent!), Google+ (3 percent) or Pinterest (1 percent). Wow! (An infographic provides more detail.)

Personally, I’m a huge fan of LinkedIn, find Pinterest to be a very interesting concept (and have an article coming out soon in EContent about some unique ways content providers are using Pinterest), and don’t really “get” Google+, but my personal opinions really don’t matter here and, IMO, neither do these survey results. (more…)

I just finished reading Blur: How to Know What’s True in the Age of Information Overload and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a topic that I’ve often pondered as I’ve watched the shift from traditional news coverage to the rapid expansion of information sources that allow literally anyone to have a “voice.” But how can we as consumers–or as journalists, which is a hat I often wear–separate fact from fiction from self-promotion.

The book offers some very in-depth insights and examples which I found fascinating–and helpful. In brief, the authors outline a process that involves asking the following questions: (more…)

Every organization goes through change. Every individual goes through change. Some manage change more effectively than others. Why? I think there are a couple of reasons. Those who are most effective at managing change–whether individuals or organizations–recognize: (more…)

LinkedIn initially gained popularity as a tool for job seekers and it remains a popular go-to source of candidates for recruiters and HR professionals. But businesses, large and small, and business people in a variety of professions are also finding LinkedIn to be a great networking tool and an opportunity to do business development across a much wider market area than ever before.

As hard as it may be to believe, not everybody is engaged in social media these days. And, even those who have profiles established on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter may not be active participants and, importantly, may not be seeing your communications, regardless of how frequently you post or how brilliant your insights are.

In my work as a marketing communication consultant I work with clients regularly to assess and improve their communications, including online communications. The first area of discussion (more…)

PR/MEDIA RELATIONS
We can provide you with media training and coaching, help you identify relevant media and help you generate media coverage locally, nationally and online. More

SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media isn’t for everyone, but if it’s right for you we’ll help you identify, implement and assess the impact of your online communications. More

STRATEGIC PLANNING
Our name says it all! We’re passionate about strategic planning and work with clients to develop marketing and communication plans, as well as broader business plans designed to provide actionable--and measurable--direction. More